Okay, so it's been a very (!) long time since I posted something interesting...

So here's a concept I've been wanting to do for a while: using stock images of rust/peeling paint to create a map. Every time I see some awesome rust texture, I just imagine it as a map all on it's own.

I have imported about 50 images to PS, rotated, resized, flipped, moved, edited, and filled in the gaps.

The result: a very random-looking map (loving the randomness) with a great amount of islands and interior lakes (I've always felt like I need more of both) and an overall pleasing arrangement.

I teased the continents into shapes that would be interesting to fill in (mountains, forests, deserts, cultures) while leaving interesting seas and gulfs between them.

This is a Work-in-Progress that I will develop over time.

Enjoy :)

aeronox

09-17-2008, 11:28 AM

Currently working on: Filling/erasing some of the "dots".

Redrobes

09-17-2008, 11:31 AM

That's pretty inspired. I don't know whether to rep you or tell you your crazy... ok ill give some rep just this time ;)

I guess the noise from rust does not suffer from oddities of PRNG's so might give better results in some ways but it seems a really odd thing to do.

Well as long as you know that there are easier ways of getting those shapes out there...

aeronox

09-17-2008, 12:20 PM

I've made maps using the noise/threshold method, and fractals, before....

I guess I wanted to make a map that originated from somewhere outside my mind.

Note: I have shifted my map north. I didn't like the majority of my land being right in the middle of the 30-degree-latitude (low air pressure causes deserts - see africa, australia).

Currently working on: Tectonic stuff (volcanoes etc)

aeronox

09-17-2008, 02:40 PM

WIP: Tectonics

Disclaimer: I have the most basic knowledge of anything serious :P

Note: I will insert islands (similar to those found around Earth's "Ring of Fire") in the north. Ocean coasts to the south don't match up; in my imaginary world, this might be explained by a very slowly-expanding (relatively) ocean ridge, but since it began, there has been some serious Ice Ages and the southern coast has been deformed drastically. Or something like that.

A nice spattering of volcanoes and earthquake origins.

Next: Hmmm..... ummm.... i'm not sure

aeronox

09-17-2008, 03:32 PM

WIP: Civilisation's Journey

Note: This shows the paths that civilised humans took. This is useful for:
- Culture (incl Language & Religion)
- Appearance/Race
- History
- Relationship
- Civilisation type (fast, slow, maritime, inland, etc)
The shaded regions are NOT nations (except for maybe the orange in the east - seems very imperial in its expansion), however by referring to the above list, we can see how many nations within a shaded area can share characteristics/origins.

Next: Rivers (but not tonight!)

THANKS FOR VIEWING!!!

Steel General

09-17-2008, 04:08 PM

This is really a novel idea using rust to define your continents, etc. I think the only thing that's a bit disconcerting (for lack of a better word), is all of the long narrow 'paper strip' islands in the extreme south. Other than that great job, looking forward to seeing it finished.

*bonk on the head with my club of repping*

jezelf

09-17-2008, 05:20 PM

Thats a very cool idea. great map and the steps you've map. I also love the progress and the civilisation journey. Is this the whole world? If so it's a shame you just snippd off the land on the right.

I really need to learn about those geological details like that, and the human migrations looks like fun.

aeronox

09-17-2008, 11:33 PM

This is really a novel idea using rust to define your continents, etc. I think the only thing that's a bit disconcerting (for lack of a better word), is all of the long narrow 'paper strip' islands in the extreme south.

I haven't worried too much about the south - when I get around to producing stylised maps, they will be from the viewpoint of a particular civilisation - and the southern extremes are sooooo cold that there's almost no maps of it.

Is this the whole world? If so it's a shame you just snippd off the land on the right.

It's not the whole world; there is a vast ocean to the north, a large frozen continent to the south, a small ocean to the west (and then a medium-sized continent), and that land on the right expands eastward and northward.

I think the star on the migration map represents Stargrave, where a portal opened after a meteor impact. There may have been other such portals, in the ancient past, so there may be civilisations elsewhere, and they may be more advanced.

aeronox

09-18-2008, 04:05 AM

WIP: Rivers/Deserts

Note: Using mountains (/altitude) and rainfall maps, I have now drawn rivers. I have also modified the Rainfall map to act as a "desert"/green-ness layer.

Tips: Rain falls on windward sides of mountains. Rivers form in valleys, joining and proceeding downhill, to a lake, sea, or ocean (depending on how much water and the volume of the basin). Rivers (almost) never split.

Next: I'm not sure! I don't want to do any civilisation stuff yet.

aeronox

09-18-2008, 04:21 AM

For bottom-up worldbuilding/mapmaking, this is the order I'd recommend:

Note: This is unfinished. Territories do not necessarily represent unified nations; they could indicate a group of related cultures or allied city-states.
Some borders should be blurred; where dominion diminishes, or where cultures clash or intermingle.

I'm sure it's fairly nonsensical (I'm not sure exactly how borders work with mountains, rivers and gaps between them, but i've given it a go).

EDIT: I've used the 4-colour technique here, but it isn't implemented correctly; proper usage would see alot more alternating colours, whereas I chose to use all 4 as much as I could (and almost ran into problems).

Next: Vegetation (including swamplands)

jakeforddaniels

09-19-2008, 05:44 PM

I like the look of it -- the mass of small islands makes me think of bayous and guys poling boats around swamps.